WhatsApp says Russia tried to fully block platform, push users to state app

Russia attempted to fully block the WhatsApp messaging app on Thursday in an effort to push users toward a state-backed alternative, the company said in a statement.

“Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backward step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” WhatsApp said. “We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the restrictions were imposed because WhatsApp’s owner, Meta — which Russian authorities have designated an extremist organization and have banned in the country — has refused to comply with Russian law.

“If the corporation maintains the same uncompromising position and, I would say, shows a complete unwillingness to align with Russian legislation, then there will be no chance of the app being restored,” Peskov said.

He encouraged users to switch to Max, a government-backed messaging platform developed by the creator of VKontakte and heavily promoted in Russia through state media and advertising campaigns.

The latest restrictions on WhatsApp go beyond Roskomnadzor’s previous measures, which included blocking voice calls and slowing traffic, digital rights groups said, adding that authorities went as far as removing WhatsApp’s domain records from Russia’s National Domain Name System.

That step effectively prevents devices inside Russia from retrieving the app’s IP address through domestic DNS servers, making it impossible to connect without using a virtual private network. Once a domain entry is removed from the system, the site no longer opens on standard connections.

The digital rights project Na Svyazi (In Touch) reported that 13 popular resources — including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, the Tor Project, the BBC, Deutsche Welle, and The Moscow Times — were also removed from the national domain registry.

DNS interference has occurred before in Russia, including during targeted blocks of Discord and Signal in 2024. But Na Svyazi said the large-scale removal of domain records observed this week marks a significant escalation.

The move to block WhatsApp comes days after Moscow imposed fresh restrictions on Telegram, citing alleged violations of Russian law. Users across multiple regions reported widespread disruptions earlier this week.

In December, authorities warned WhatsApp it could face a nationwide ban unless it complied with domestic regulations. In August, Russia barred voice calls on both WhatsApp and Telegram, arguing they had become tools for cybercriminals and saboteurs. WhatsApp said at the time that the move was designed to push users toward “less secure services” that enable state surveillance.

Russia has steadily tightened pressure on foreign tech companies since the start of the war in Ukraine, forcing some platforms to localize data, remove content, or face fines and blocking orders.